LTT - Chair of Technical Thermodynamics RWTH Aachen University

Energy system analysis and optimization, molecular models for the prediction of thermodynamic properties, sorption technologies, optical and microfludic measurement techniques

Research Focus

The research at the Institute of Technical Thermodynamics (LTT) spans across all scales of thermodynamics: from the processes to the molecular level. The applications lie both in the areas of energy and chemical engineering.

The Institute is organised in the following research groups:

Energy systems engineering:
Software tools for the planning and optimisation of energy systems are developed. Besides single components entire systems are analysed with the scope is from classical energy systems to the material integration of chemical and energy industries.

Sorption systems engineering:
The sorption systems engineering group studies adsorption processes for heating and cooling applications. The focus of research is on heat pumps and thermal storage systems. We employ experimental setups as well as computer simulations to investigate the sorption systems.

Measurement systems engineering:
The experimental research of thermodynamic phenomena such as transport processes and coupled phase- and reaction equilibria is realised by means of non-invasive space- and time-resolved measurement techniques as well as tailor-made microfluidic devices.

Molecular systems engineering:
To understand and describe material behaviour of fluids based on their molecular structure methods from quantum and classical mechanics, statistical thermodynamics and electrostatics are applied